Columbia, Mo. – September 08, 2026 -- American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: AOUT) reported first quarter fiscal 2027 net sales of $37.3 million, up 25.4% from $29.7 million a year earlier, though growth normalizes to 4.3% after adjusting for $6.0 million in retailer orders that were pulled forward into the prior-year period.
Gross margin expands 630 basis points to 53.0%
Gross margin climbed to 53.0% from 46.7% in the year-ago quarter. GAAP net loss narrowed to $1.5 million, or $(0.12) per diluted share, from a $6.8 million loss, or $(0.54) per share, a year earlier. Non-GAAP net income reached $415,000, or $0.03 per diluted share, reversing a $3.3 million non-GAAP loss in the comparable quarter. Adjusted EBITDA turned positive at $1.2 million, or 3.1% of net sales, versus a negative $3.1 million, or (10.5)% of net sales, last year.
Point-of-sale gains point to broad-based demand across brand portfolio
Point-of-sale results rose 6% in the company's Outdoor Lifestyle category and 3% in Shooting Sports during the quarter. New products accounted for more than 36% of net sales. The Caldwell ClayCopter Surface-to-Air was named the 2026 Frank Desomma Innovation of the Year by the Industry Choice Awards in August, an award CEO Brian Murphy called an unbiased evaluation across the entire shooting sports industry.
BUBBA brand expands into digital tournament technology
The company's BUBBA Pro Series Gen 2 Electric Fillet Knife was named Best of Show for Cutlery, Hand Pliers, or Tools at ICAST 2026. American Outdoor Brands also launched SCORETRACKER LIVE, a digital scoring platform developed with Major League Fishing that delivers real-time tournament results to anglers, organizers and fans, extending BUBBA's push into connected hardware, software and subscription services.
Company closes quarter with $33.3 million in cash and zero debt
CFO Andrew Fulmer said sales growth translated into solid financial performance, with gross margin expansion and an Adjusted EBITDA improvement of more than $4.0 million contributing to a stronger balance sheet.
Fiscal 2027 Adjusted EBITDA guidance raised to $14.5 million–$17.5 million
American Outdoor Brands is maintaining full-year net sales guidance of $200 million to $210 million while raising its Adjusted EBITDA guidance range to $14.5 million to $17.5 million, citing confidence heading into its seasonally stronger second and third quarters.